The Press., 1887-06-02
Al RUN-AWAY TRAIN.

There is story in the June Wide Awake of boy, the fifteen-y year-old son of loco motive engineer .who had often ridden with his father and ssknew the engine booty well. 7 Indeed the engineer had frequent let the boy '.drive" on long stretch of straight track.
 One night he left ssDave" in charge of the engine on siding, while he went to supper as usual. There came upa furious wind and, after 8 little, some cars shot by without any engine. The wind had started them. Boy, think quick Down grade The Lightning Express Is to come that way
 Nobody near. No telegraph wire. The trains are headed together There is less than an hour to catch those runaway cars and pull them out of the way. No time for hesitation lie springs to the lever, picks up speed and tears away with grade and wind and steam like a whizzing arrow.
 They are miles ahead. The rushing minutes are full of sudden comprehension. He almost sees through the dark, tempes- tuous night. What set him flying toward this plunge was thought of the Lightning Express. Now danger takes hold of him. What if he is just too late The runaway train is in sight No, on again Let the story teller tell the rest.
 He must slow up, but do it so nicely that, when he does come up with them, there shall be the least possible shock :; for here is the hardest part of the business. lie has nobody to help him 'couple. He must be, for the nonce, both engineer and switchman. He had not thought what a formidable job thls was until 1t stared him 1 in the face.
 On he flew revolving the situation Tn his head and adjusting his engine with the incest care until he was upon the very heels of the runaway then, with many misgiving, slipped out of the engine house and crawIed along the side of the locomo- I tive, and down on the ''cow catcher"
 Here, seizing the long coupler in one hand and holding on with the other, he stood watching with hreathless interest the approaching collision. The suspense was agonizing. The situation was perilous. A gust of wind might sweep him from his place, he might be shaken off or crushed.
 He was almost panic.striken. A dozen times he was on the point of turning back. To his startled ears the air was full of un. canny sounds-the sweep of another torna do, the rush of Lightning just ahead But he had in him the stuff which heroes are made of. The hero, remember, is not he who is insensible to danger, but rather he who feels and realizes, but yet over comes it.
 The "Meteor" drew nearer and nearer the flying train. Dave had used excellent Judgment in regulating it's speed for al length it came up with the rear Gar witt scarcely shock, so that Dave could drol in the pin.
 Then clambering back into the engine house with trembling eagerness he seized the 'tthrottle" To his amazement tht train did not stop. Instead of the "Me teor's"- stopping the runaway, the run away dragged the ''Meteor" along in it headlong flight. Dave was horrorrstruck He had thought the train would stop a once. He had not calculated what Ire mendo1s impetus all those heavy cars haC acquired.
 Now, then, the tussle The train began to slow up, It came to astand- still. Thel the backward pull. Slowly they got un der way but the wind and upgrade wer against them.
 Dave began to get anxious. "Ihe Light ning' must be due by this time. He kep 8 sharp lookout behind and whistled hk mad around the curves. At length he en tered upon the long, straight level line o road which extended clear to Blankton Dave breathed freer. It was the home
 
 | Hardly had he congratulated himself when far behind-bnt unmistakably-h heard the scream of the sLightning's' whistle He was going already at his top most speed He was making not nor, than thirty-five miles an hour, while tn I Lightning was coming on at the rate o I sixty. With horror he heard it gaining ol him; the next whistle was nearer, and a length when he had made only two third the distance the gleam of it's Read-lfgh came shooting foRna 3 wooded curve il his rear. =.
 Out of the very despair of the momen Dave gathered ealmness. He turned hi back on the pursuing train, he cast no lool behind, he shut his ears to its op-comins roar looked straight ahead, kept his ey on the track, his mind on his duty.
 tie is almost there-he Ts there he dash es past the station house, across the switol and down at last upon the side track.
 It is all right. Jake and Jim are there They have thrown the switch back il time the Lightning goes whizzine RnC shrieking past.
 When Jake jumped aboard the" Meteor, his son tainted dead away in his arms,